USD 446

The week of April 6 provides us a reminder to express gratitude to the individuals who work hard every day in our schools to serve students, staff, and families.

Eisenhower: Lisa Paige
Jefferson: Haley Barker
IMS: Sam Carnes
IHS: Michael McCambridge, Marcus Lanning

State Assessments are an important way for schools to measure students' progress and growth, enabling them to make adjustments for student learning. We encourage parents to discuss with their student the importance of trying their best.

What else can you do? Talk to your child about how they felt about their performance.

Para Professional Appreciation Day is April 1, and we wouldn't want to miss this opportunity to send out a great big THANK YOU to all of those individuals serving USD 446 students and staff.

State Assessments are an important way for schools to measure students' progress and growth, enabling them to make adjustments for student learning. We encourage parents to discuss with their student the importance of trying their best.

What else can you do? Encourage your child to get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast.

State Assessments are an important way for schools to measure students' progress and growth, enabling them to make adjustments to student learning. We encourage parents to discuss with their student the importance of trying their best.

State Assessments are an important way for schools to measure students' progress and growth, enabling them to make adjustments to student learning. We encourage parents to discuss with their student the importance of trying their best.

Bulldog Parents and Guardians: don't miss out on the opportunity to meet with your child's teachers at our Spring PT Conferences, coming up on March 10 and 11.

March 6, 2026, is Maintenance Appreciation Day. We'd like to take this time to thank the USD 446 maintenance and custodial staff for all they do to make USD 446 the best place to work and learn.

USD 446 Staff Professional Development, Friday, March 6, 2026

March 2, 2026: Read Across America

Kansas funds one free ACT and one free WorkKeys assessment for high school juniors annually. USD 446 juniors are scheduled to take the ACT on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. The ACT (American College Testing) is a standardized test used primarily for college admissions, scholarship applications, and measuring college readiness in core academic areas. It helps institutions evaluate applicant preparedness and assists students in demonstrating their academic abilities in English, math, reading, and science.

USD 446 juniors completed ACT Workkeys assessment the week of October 6. ACT WorkKeys is used to measure and certify essential workplace skills (like applied math, graphic literacy, and workplace documents) for job seekers, students, and employees, helping them get hired and advance careers.

Reminder: No School Friday, February 16, due to staff in-service.

On February 19, select 4th-grade students will participate in The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly known as "The Nation's Report Card." While schools will not receive data on individual student performance, NAEP is the largest, continuing, and nationally representative assessment of student achievement in the United States. It measures knowledge in subjects like mathematics, reading, and science for grades 4, 8, and 12. We're positive the students randomly selected by NAEP test administrators will represent our district and Kansas well!

Purpose: Provides a consistent, objective measure of student performance over time, offering a snapshot of the K-12 education system.

Assessment Areas: Core subjects include reading, mathematics, writing, and science, with additional assessments in civics, geography, U.S. history, and technology.

Administration: Conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), it uses a scientific, random sampling of public and private schools, rather than testing every student.

Results: Data is reported at the national and state levels.

February 1-March 1: Celebrating 100 years since the first Black History Week in 1926

USD 446 is blessed to have many wonderful people serving students, not the least of which are its school counselors. They work tirelessly to support students' academic, career, and social-emotional development through individual/group counseling, academic planning, crisis intervention, and guidance on postsecondary options, all while collaborating with teachers, parents, and administrators to remove barriers and promote student success. They teach life skills, help with mental health, and advocate for students to reach their full potential. Thank you, USD 446 counselors, for ALL you do!

Eisenhower: Darrell Clifton
Jefferson: Bre Toms
IMS: Christina Mitts, Chelsey Martin
IHS: Teresa Jefferson, Valerie Schmitz
BRIDGES: Mark Lasater

Kansas Day commemorates the day Kansas officially became the 34th state of the United States on January 29, 1861. Known as “The Free State,” Kansas played a pivotal role in the abolition of slavery, joining the Union as a state where slavery was illegal.

No School for USD 446 Monday, January 26, 2026.

January is National School Board Appreciation Month, and we would be remiss if we didn't give a great big shoutout to the USD 446 Board of Education members. We appreciate the important work you do for Independence Public Schools! To learn about our school board members, go tohttps://www.indyschools.com/page/usd-446-board-of-education.